Les Paul R0 fretboard

[mikeymikey]

I am looking for a 1960 custom shop les paul. I tried one with which I have a particular feel, but the fretboard leaves me perplexed: I do not doubt the fact that it is original, it is a new guitar from an official shop, but the fretboard in rosewood should’t be as dark as possible?

 

[AA00475Bassman]

I have several very dark Historic fretboards , I prefer dark . Although the some are ridiculously light some are very dark .

 

[mikeymikey]

I have several very dark Historic fretboards , I prefer dark . Although the some are ridiculously light some are very dark .

I think you should reread what I wrote, rather than write nonsense comments.

I asked if high quality fretboards should usually be darker than this one

 

[AA00475Bassman]

"I asked if high quality fretboards should usually be darker than this one"


What don't you understand about the color of historic fretboards some are light colored some are dark .

What ever made you think Gibson has a standard for Historic guitars as far as fret board color .

If you don't like the fretboard move on find the guitar that checks all your criteria .

 

[AA00475Bassman]

You also should move this Historic section unless you're looking at USA models .

 

[sunking101]

Over the years we have used up all the dark ebony and rosewood. Although darker fretboards can still be found the majority are much lighter these days and that's just the way it is.

It's still rosewood and arguably shows more character when it isn't a slab of black wood. You can see patterns in the grain and of course these boards can be darkemed with oils and even dyes if you so desire.

 

[Big Al]

This is pretty lame and indicative of newer lower information players. That is exactly the color of most braz rosewood when new and lots of east indian. COLOR is not quality. That is more about grain and density than color which has always been highly variable.

Now it seems everyone expects rosewood to look like ebony or some oxidised oil soaked 60 year old 'board and post pics of perfect high quality rosewood as questionable because apparently this isn't dark enough to be high quality??

I get it, the internet floods us with an overload of opinion presented as fact and preference becomes quality because fashion is the most important spec. Quality maple now has an abundance of flecks and mineral streaks, finish crazing now is a good thing and weight alone qualifies mahogany as high quality, not grain, stiffness or hardness certainly not density, specs that have impact on quality are ignored.

I can see that this is not the lighter blonde tan color and is the darker type, as spec'd but apparently not quite none more dark enough to be high quality to satisfy fashion. So pass it up, walk on by and wait for one dark enough to suit your fashion sense.

All I see is yet another picture of rosewood that you can still see the wood in and labled too light to be high quality. This is getting stale.

 

[Reddart]

Yeah...there’s always the sharpie option.

 

[snag]

A question mark doesn't necessarily mean a question, just that the ? key on your keyboard works.

 

[El Gringo]

Jeez Louise , Mother nature does not take orders on specific figure or specific color . Gibson uses what Mother nature gives us . Pretty simple !

 

[NYCBURST]

I am looking for a 1960 custom shop les paul. I tried one with which I have a particular feel, but the fretboard leaves me perplexed: I do not doubt the fact that it is original, it is a new guitar from an official shop, but the fretboard in rosewood should’t be as dark as possible?

This is what is standard on the customshop models I'm afraid. Original 59's had Brazilian rosewood, the customshop uses Indian or Bolivian and the quality of the pieces is poor these days, they are running out of good pieces.. Every once in a while you'll see a good piece.

 

[NYCBURST]

This is pretty lame and indicative of newer lower information players. That is exactly the color of most braz rosewood when new and lots of east indian. COLOR is not quality. That is more about grain and density than color which has always been highly variable.

Now it seems everyone expects rosewood to look like ebony or some oxidised oil soaked 60 year old 'board and post pics of perfect high quality rosewood as questionable because apparently this isn't dark enough to be high quality??

I get it, the internet floods us with an overload of opinion presented as fact and preference becomes quality because fashion is the most important spec. Quality maple now has an abundance of flecks and mineral streaks, finish crazing now is a good thing and weight alone qualifies mahogany as high quality, not grain, stiffness or hardness certainly not density, specs that have impact on quality are ignored.

I can see that this is not the lighter blonde tan color and is the darker type, as spec'd but apparently not quite none more dark enough to be high quality to satisfy fashion. So pass it up, walk on by and wait for one dark enough to suit your fashion sense.

All I see is yet another picture of rosewood that you can still see the wood in and labled too light to be high quality. This is getting stale.

I will agree with this statement, what I find is that most people (novice for lack of a better word) 1959 people see the Brazilian rosewwod and expect the indian and bolivian rosewood to look like that, which it's never going to. There were a lot of light pieces of brazilian rosewood on 59 les pauls which with time and lots of hand oil oxidized just as you pointed out that look great. "Sandy" being one of those guitars and also Jimmy pages number one has a very light wide grained fingerboard..

 

[Big Al]

This is what is standard on the customshop models I'm afraid. Original 59's had Brazilian rosewood, the customshop uses Indian or Bolivian and the quality of the pieces is poor these days, they are running out of good pieces.. Every once in a while you'll see a good piece.

How?? Softwood? Knots? Wormy? Or you just think the look in some photo shows a lack of quality across the line. Just how much rosewood is left that you can reject away fine grained, dense wood just because you think it should be darker? Look on the sites, whole range from almost black, semi sweet to milk chocolate and reddish and brown shades. The wood is good the color varies. I have Martins with rosewood of every shade.

 

[renderit]

I have a few OLD Gibsons which are not all that dark.

So even back in the 50's and 60's they varied a lot...

 

[AA00475Bassman]

We can all go on about what was & what is, the OP was either trolling or trying to do what he did accomplish not wanting to be educated by example or experience.
The OP was rude in his response to my post !

Fretboards are light colored & dark they have been in the past they will be in the future . My 65 Firebird had a very Carmel ,dark Chocolate board !

 

[sunking101]

My R7 has a light-ish board but there is a whole group of people out there who won't accept guitars unless they have the darkest of rosewood fretboards.

 

[NYCBURST]

How?? Softwood? Knots? Wormy? Or you just think the look in some photo shows a lack of quality across the line. Just how much rosewood is left that you can reject away fine grained, dense wood just because you think it should be darker? Look on the sites, whole range from almost black, semi sweet to milk chocolate and reddish and brown shades. The wood is good the color varies. I have Martins with rosewood of every shade.

aesthetic quality !! Big, Al...... Martin's with rosewood fingerboards?

 

[NYCBURST]

aesthetic quality !! Big, Al...... Martin's with rosewood fingerboards?

One thing I'll never understand is why on a customshop they will put a poor "looking" piece of rosewood and on their cheaper models you'll come across some really nice dark pieces of rosewood.. In my opinion, it's just a phycological look thing it doesn't have anything to do with tone..

 

[NYCBURST]

Incidentally, This is a closeup I took of Jimmy page's fretboard, a very light wide grained piece of Brazilian rosewood. I think that guitar had some good tone.. lol

 

[sunking101]

Incidentally, This is a closeup I took of Jimmy page's fretboard, a very light wide grained piece of Brazilian rosewood. I think that guitar had some good tone.. lol

That's not what I would call very light....